0115 Area Code: Nottingham & East Midlands Guide

Seen a phone number starting with 0115 and want to know where it’s from? The 0115 telephone code belongs to Nottingham — the largest city in the East Midlands and a major economic hub with a population of over 300,000 in the city alone, and close to 800,000 across the wider urban area. This guide explains everything about the area code for 0115, from which towns and suburbs it covers to how you can get a Nottingham business number even if you’re based elsewhere in the UK.

What Area Is 0115?

The 0115 area code covers Nottingham city centre and extends across a substantial area of the East Midlands. As one of the UK’s core cities, Nottingham’s telephone code reaches well beyond the city boundary into neighbouring towns in Nottinghamshire and even parts of Derbyshire.

The 0115 phone code serves:

• Nottingham city centre — the commercial heart of the East Midlands, home to the Council House, Old Market Square, and the Lace Market
• West Bridgford — an affluent suburb south of the Trent, home to Trent Bridge cricket ground and Nottingham Forest FC
• Arnold — a market town to the north-east of the city centre
• Carlton — a residential suburb east of Nottingham
• Beeston — a university-adjacent town with a thriving high street, south-west of the centre
• Long Eaton — a town straddling the Nottinghamshire-Derbyshire border
• Ilkeston — a Derbyshire town that falls within the 0115 telephone area despite being in a different county

The 0115 area code is notable for crossing county boundaries — covering areas in both Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire. This reflects the practical reality that Greater Nottingham’s urban sprawl extends across the River Erewash into Derbyshire.

Towns and Areas Using the 0115 Code

Here is a more detailed list of the towns, suburbs, and villages that use the 0115 area code:

• Nottingham city centre (NG1-NG11 postcodes)
• West Bridgford
• Arnold
• Carlton
• Beeston
• Stapleford
• Long Eaton
• Ilkeston
• Sandiacre
• Mapperley
• Gedling
• Bulwell
• Hucknall (partially)
• Eastwood
• Kimberley
• Ruddington
• Cotgrave

Some people search for the “01157 area code” — this isn’t a separate code. Numbers beginning 01157 are simply 0115 numbers where the local subscriber number starts with 7. The area code is always 0115, followed by a seven-digit local number.

History of the 0115 Area Code

The 0115 area code was introduced on 16 April 1995 during the national PhONEday renumbering. However, Nottingham’s story is slightly different from most cities because it underwent a more significant change.

Before PhONEday, Nottingham’s area code was 0602 — a four-digit code followed by a six-digit local number. During PhONEday, it was converted to 0115, and at the same time the local numbers were extended by adding a “9” prefix, changing from six to seven digits. So a number that was 0602 XXXXXX became 0115 9XX XXXX.

Going back further, Nottingham’s original STD code was simply 602, assigned during the rollout of subscriber trunk dialling in the 1960s. The city’s importance as the East Midlands’ primary urban centre meant it received its own dedicated code from the earliest days of the system.

How to Dial 0115 Numbers

Here’s how to dial a Nottingham number from different locations:

• From a UK landline or mobile: Dial the full number as written, e.g. 0115 XXX XXXX. You must include the 0115 prefix when dialling from a mobile, even if you are in Nottingham.
• From within the 0115 area on a landline: You can omit the area code and dial just the seven-digit local number, although the full number will always work.
• From abroad: Replace the leading 0 with the UK country code +44. An 0115 number becomes +44 115 XXX XXXX.

All 0115 numbers consist of eleven digits in total — the four-digit area code plus a seven-digit local number. Calls are charged at standard geographic rates and are almost always included in mobile and landline bundled minutes.

Getting a 0115 Business Number

A Nottingham phone number gives your business instant local recognition across the East Midlands. Whether you’re targeting customers in the city centre, the surrounding suburbs, or the wider NG postcode area, a 0115 number signals that you’re a local, accessible business.

The good news is that you don’t need a physical office in Nottingham to use a 0115 number. VoIP and virtual number services let you set up a Nottingham number that routes calls to any device — your mobile, a laptop softphone, or a desk phone in any location. Virtual 0115 numbers start from £6/month with Hypercloud Hosted VoIP.

Related Area Codes Near Nottingham

Operating across the East Midlands? Here are the area codes you’ll encounter near Nottingham:

• 01332 — Derby
• 01623 — Mansfield
• 01509 — Loughborough
• 01636 — Newark-on-Trent
• 01onal — Grantham (01476)
• 01159 — sometimes confused with 0115, but all part of the same area code

For guides on other major East Midlands and Central England codes, see our articles on the 0116 area code for Leicester and the 0121 area code for Birmingham.

Looking for business mobile deals in Nottingham? We also compare the best business phone line providers in the UK to help you find the right telecoms package.

Frequently Asked Questions